Dreams and Nightmares
by Anestacia
Summary: The story of the few who choose to face their destiny in saving Norrath from falling into the wicked hands of Terris Thule. Join these companions as they search for the legendary epic weapons of old in order to save their world. Set in the EQ2 time line


**Prologue **

Anastacia's long, black robe flowed down to the harsh ground bellow her feet as she glanced over to the slain four-headed dragon to her right. Her journey had come to an end; mortals had breached the planes of power and along with her mighty legion of companions, the beautiful white-haired enchantress had defeated the avatars of the gods themselves. The cheerful sounds of her companions had brought a small feeling of warmth to her hardened heart when she noticed her dear friend, Nicolas, standing by himself. She walked gently to her weary Wood Elven friend and embraced his shoulder tightly, careful to not show too much emotion. He peered at his friend through his shaggy hair that covered his tear drenched eyes. The tall Dark Elf released his shoulder and began to brush the blonde strands from his saddened face.

"He truly is gone, Anastacia. Everything I have done since his death…things I didn't think I was even capable of…and for what? I still feel just as empty now as the day he was brutally murdered by the wicked god he once worshipped." Nicolas said as he tightly clinched the leaf covered scimitar that lay at his side.

Anastacia had a strong policy to never mince words, thus it was no surprise to the tanned skinned elf when she answered so bluntly. "Yes; he's gone. It is unfortunate as he was my brother, less you forget. However, you will have to get past this or you will never be able to move on with your life, my young friend."

"Get past it?" Nicolas looked angered at his friend. "He was the love of my life and that detestable god killed him without even a second thought. If only I could find the person that Innoruuk sent who was responsible for this I would… "

"You would what? Do the same thing to him as he did to Tashir? Or perhaps make his loved ones feel the same pain you are feeling now? If there is one thing I have learned about the prince of hate it is that his followers are often just as manipulated and tortured as his victims are. Just take solace in the fact that you were able to drive your scimitar into the heart of the dark god and let that serve as your revenge. That is why you chose to join this legion of warriors was it not?"

"You know as well as I that who we killed was not Innoruuk; it was merely an avatar he created for himself. I will, however, find my way into his hateful plane and destroy him once and for all. Even Tunare herself could not deny me that justice."

"You know your sanctimonious goddess forbids you from needless acts of revenge; even if it is against the dark father."

Nicolas glanced down the long tunnel that lay behind him as he listened to the words of his dear friend. "Then so be it; I care not if she approves. After my years of devotion to her she has still allowed Tashir to be taken from me and I will have my revenge with or without her approval." He looked at the beautiful Dark Elf before him and embraced her tightly. "Go help the others; the whole reason for this long, unbearable journey lies silently imprisoned in that sphere."

"You have earned the right to hear the secrets he holds as well; come and we will hear them together."

"I am pleased to have seen the end of this journey with you, my brave friend, but I have to take this opportunity; I may never again be as close as I am at this very moment."

"You can not possibly be contemplating on doing what I think you are."

Nicolas ran his hands through his blonde hair to once again remove it from his eyes. "This is where we part. I have no plans to return but I can not live the rest of my life without Tashir; my soul died the moment he breathed his last breath."

"I will not try and persuade you from what you feel you must do. You are strong and I am confident that you can do anything you put your mind to, Nicolas."

The two friends stood silently for a few more moments and with one final embrace Anastacia stood and watched her friend begin down the long hall behind them. She turned her back to the fleeing Wood Elf and walked toward the glowing sphere that had grabbed her other companion's attention. The round beam of light exploded, briefly blinding everyone that stood near it. From beneath the diminishing light, a tall weakened man sprang forth. The shackles had rubbed his wrists and ankles raw and he could barely limp toward his saviors.

Anastacia's friends had heard rumors of an elaborate plan being developed by the gods of Norrath every since the moment they stepped foot into the Plane of Knowledge after its re-opening. They had learned of the imprisonment of the weak being that stood before them, the un-god Zebuxoruk, by the rest of the pantheon. As a student of Druzzil Ro herself, he knew very well the plans the others had for the races of Norrath and intended to warn the mortals of Norrath. The gods, fearing he truly would reveal their secret plans, imprisoned him in the plane where time does not exist and guarded him carefully. Anastacia, Nicolas and the rest of their many companions fought their way through all of the planes and killed every god's avatar that stood in their way and now the answers they sought were about to be revealed to them.

Zebuxoruk stood silently for a few moments peering at the men and women that had just saved him and then began to speak to them. "My thanks to you; I am surprised to see you have made it here. We must get back to Norrath. The time has come for me to share my knowledge. Something is coming, a threat to us all, and the sands in the hourglass are thinning. Make haste and take me back the way you came."

Anastacia glanced down the hall at these words and watched as her friend continued toward his destination. She looked back toward the man she had just helped to free and listened as he continued his tale.

"I am surprised at the gods for taking such drastic measures, though I suppose all of the creations of the Nameless are capable of displaying poor judgment and irrational behavior. These gods are burdened with powers and responsibilities beyond our comprehension, yet at times even they do not understand the eventual effect of their actions. I am compelled to share the knowledge of the gods with the populace of Norrath, so that I might save their creations. They do not realize that if mortality ceases to exist... if they are not worshipped and held aloft by the beliefs of those that they now have grown to fear... they will fall from power and a new age of darkness will wash over existence as they know it. I did not seek to interfere with them or their realms, only to free them from a fate that awaits all of us. It is this fate that now stands ready, greedily gathered on the edge of the void, ready to test the will of all mortals. If they have taken measures these extreme I must rethink what I have done, and what I will do. If there was this much cause for conc..."

He had been interrupted; but by what, Anastacia thought as she looked around the room. She began to see why he had paused from his speech. A goddess they had not encountered on their journey stood before them. This was neither an avatar nor an illusion; Druzzil Ro, the mighty goddess of magic, stood before them silently. Anastacia could hear her begin to talk yet her lips never once moved. The mighty goddess spoke directly to the freed prisoner as if completely ignoring the couple dozen mortals that filled the room.

"Zebuxoruk, my student I cannot allow this to happen. If you were to escape from another prison the will and power of the gods will have been compromised."

"Druzzil, I have missed you. Wasn't it you that taught me in your own realm to seek knowledge and share it in all forms?"

"That I did, but I also taught you not to share your wealth of knowledge if it would affect the fate of others. I cannot allow this to happen. I must set things back to how they were before you and these mortals arrived here, I believe that you cannot understand this and I am sorry."

With her final words she began to speak an incantation to herself. The mortals in the room became dizzy and one by one fell upon the floor. Anastacia too fell to her knees as she tried to focus on what was happening around her. She looked back down the long hall and she could see an image through her blurred vision; it was Nicolas. He had reached the room they had recently left and he peered toward the swirling portal in front of him. Hearing the screams and commotion from his friends behind him, he paused briefly. He looked down the corridor he had just come through and saw an array of multicolored lights filling the hall, quickly moving toward him. A split second of doubt washed over him but realized now he had no choice. The Wood Elf placed his hands onto the portal but that one moment of hesitation had caused him his failure. Just as he was about to be engulfed by the swirling dark lights, the room was filled with Druzzil's magic, causing him to loose his balance and fall to his knees.

Anastacia could no longer focus on anything so she closed her eyes in hopes of stopping the spinning in her head. She curled herself into a balled position and tried to block out the pains in her head. Then, for a small brief moment the pain ended and she drifted silently into a deep slumber.

Druzzil Ro had turned back time itself in her efforts to keep the dark secrets of the gods from being revealed. She returned the adventures to the moment in time before they ever entered the plane in which to free the imprisoned un-god. However, something had happened she did not intend. While sending Anastacia and her friends backward, she created a rift in the time stream; a rift that created an exact duplicate of the world but that now existed on an entirely different plane of existence. Druzzil had saved one world but in doing so she had doomed another; one that would see the end of the gods, the sealing of the planes and many natural disasters. From that moment, the two worlds continued on very different paths from one another. One would move onward, remembering nothing of what had happened this day but the other would suffer the consequences of conquering the planes of power and was in for a long period of hardships for their betrayal to the gods. This is those poor unfortunate souls tale.


End file.
